[mythtv-users] hdtv file size?

[Mike]

Jesse Guardiani wrote:
> Steven Adeff wrote:
>   
>>     What is a similar file size from a PCHD3000 or similar? 
>>
>>     
> [...]
>   
>>> ~7-8gig/hr with commercials for 1080i
>>> ~5gig/hr with commercials for 720p
>>>
>>> of course, specific bitrates will vary depending on source and network.
>>>       
>
> Wow. 363% increase in file size. I could add two more disks and use 
> RAID-5 to bump my disk array 300%,
> but I'd still be losing a good bit of capacity. I wonder when/if 
> hardware mpeg-4 encoder cards for HDTV will
> be available?
>
> Do those formats burn directly to DVD like the mpeg-2 from the IVTV 
> cards? Or do they need to be
> transcoded down in resolution/bitrate/whatever before they're burned?
>
>   
I believe HDTV is broadcast as compressed MPEG from the get go. So you 
won't really get anything out of a hardware encoder on a digital signal. 
All the cards and decoders do is tune to the stream and decrypt QAM or 
8VSB. (when I just record..... I get almost no CPU overhead... I get it 
all when I try to play it back)

Let me put it this way.... If you took your PVR-350's streams and 
stacked them together to makeup the space filled from say a HD-3000... 
how many times would its screen fit into the HD screen?

1hr show from PVR-350 2.2gig (extreme engineering)
http://dustsmoke.com/images/pvr350.jpg

1hr show from HD-3000 QAM_256 1080i 6.3 GB (window to the sea)
http://dustsmoke.com/images/hd3000.jpg

Seems to be about the right size to me...... If anything, its a little 
better than I'd expect it to be for this particular show.... (of course, 
Windows Media Player Classic seems to mess up the proportions a bit when 
capturing screenshots for me.... but this is just to give you an idea....)

-Mike